Feed People and Wildlife

Aim

To involve volunteers from the local community in growing food, plants and flowers that will benefit both people and wildlife.

Bethel Church is based in Spon End, Coventry.   It is near the city centre and is surrounded by two communities consisting of residents of various ages, ethnicities, faiths and economic means.   On site are two projects - the Oasis Community Cafe and Hub which is open three days per week, and Incredible Edible.   Everyone is welcome regardless of their faith, or none.   Everyone is welcome regardless of their mental health, their learning or their physical difficulties.  We value their help and involvent in our projects when it is needed.  

For a number of years a small team of Incredible Edible volunteers,  led by Beth, have lovingly tended the vegetable beds that run along the pavement in front of the church car park.   Everything that is grown in these beds is freely available to passers by and local residents.  They simply help themselves.

We are now ready to extend this work using the rest of the church gardens and grounds so that we can involve more volunteers to grow more vegetables, fruit and small trees.  We also want to plant shrubs and flowers that will attract and feed our wildlife.   We would love our volunteers to learn new skills as they build relationships with each other.  We would love to encourage more wildlife into our gardens by providing a varied food source and captured water supply.

The long sloping grassed bank at the front of the church needs to be terraced so that we can plant more vegetables and flowers.   At the top of the slope is a large gravelled area that will become our water capture space and will be home to bird boxes and bug hotels.  At the rear of the church is a good sized garden that is part lawned and part paved which we would love to develop by creating borders and cut flower beds to attract wildlife and to enable us to teach flower arranging skills and provide free gifts.

We would love our arty volunteers to create murals on the sides of our metal storage container to not only brighten up the area but to allow them to express themselves creatively. The paved area around the storage containers, once improved, could be a lovely place for planters/trugs and for sitting out to enjoy a well earned rest with refreshments. 

We believe it is important and wonderful that people not only learn about the natural world and the natural order of things from preparing the ground, to planting the seed, to tending the plants, and finally to picking and enjoying what has been grown, but also how and why this process is mutally beneficial to people and wildlife.   

To achieve all these things we need to hire a mini digger,  and we need to purchase large water collectors, seeds, plants, tools, PPE and garden furniture with sun shades.  If we raise more than our initial goal we would use the additional monies to improve access for the disabled.

If we don't reach our fund raising target in the time allowed we raise nothing but we are grateful for the match funding offered by the Aviva Community Fund.   Please check out the various rewards on offer to early donors.

Thank you!

This project successfully funded on 10th August 2023